1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for sending secured digital containers having streaming media content therein over networks to a device. The invention may also provide a method and apparatus for securely streaming the media content from the digital container to a media player residing in the device.
2. Background Description
Distributors of digital content face a growing need to send large audio and video media files to consumers over the Internet. This distribution must be accomplished while providing both copyright protection and insuring payment is made to the content originators.
Traditionally, there have two basic methods available to content distributors and originators to accomplish this feat: a) Encrypted file downloads, and b) file streaming.
Encrypted File Download
This method allows the consumer to download the entire media file before allowing access to the contents. A payment mechanism is usually made available on the world-wide web at the point of file download and the file is typically encrypted in some fashion that provides for decryption on the user's computer upon successful payment and download. Generally, the copyright protection is accomplished by either making the file type proprietary or by utilizing public key encryption methodology.
The proprietary file type method requires the user to download and install a proprietary player prior to successfully playing the media file. In practice, requiring a proprietary media player can limit the audience and overall distribution potential of the file. The proprietary files are also vulnerable to unauthorized conversion to non-proprietary file types.
The public key encryption method requires that the content originator and distributor be part of an elaborate public key infrastructure (PKI) that must be utilized before the user gains access to the file. This PKI system requires the user's media player to successfully interact with public key servers and trusted third party servers. The complexity and costs associated with this system serve to act as inhibiting factors for both consumers and content originators. There is another drawback to this system. Since the media file type is not proprietary, it must sooner or later reside on the user's machine in its unencrypted form in order for the resident media player to successfully gain access to it. This makes it vulnerable to unauthorized copying by knowledgeable users.
File Streaming
This technique avoids unauthorized access problems by never allowing the user access to the entire media file. After successfully executing a payment transaction, the user's media player is typically provided with the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the content provider's streaming file server. Once the media player makes contact with the streaming server, the server begins sending the content file to the user's machine in packet format. This data is read into the media player's buffer, which is typically part of the resident RAM memory on the user's machine. The data is then read from the buffer by the media player, which plays the content of the file for the user. When the amount of data in the buffer becomes low, a request for more packets is sent to the streaming server. In this manner, the entire media file is played for the user as one continuous stream. In theory, the user never experiences any interruption, but in practice disruptions occur.
However, there are problems with the file streaming technique. For example, the content provider must provide the necessary telephony and server infrastructure to make the streaming data available to a large number of simultaneous users. The purchase and maintenance costs of this system can be an onerous burden on the content provider. Also, traffic problems on the network or portions of the network (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide-area network (WAN), telecommunications network, wireless network, cable network, or Internet) may easily lead to interruptions in packet flow to the user's machine and make the playing of the media file intermittent. In addition, to minimize bandwidth demands on the streaming system, the content files are generally compressed as much as possible. These factors can degrade the quality of the user experience.